Welcome. I'm beginning this blog as a bit of therapy. I am normally a bit shy and reserved, even my online presence is minimal. I suppose it's just a part of who I am. I learned to ride a motorcycle late in my life. I was over the age of 30 before I even sat on a real motorcycle. My parents had an old moped that we kids used to take turns riding when we were really young. Since the moped I have only ridden three motorcycles, though I have now acquired many many miles.
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| Me, Mom, and Dad. The Badlands. |
To me there is nothing quite like cruising down a highway with the rush of wind and the sound of the motorcycle to keep me company. It's therapy on two wheels as far as I'm concerned. My parents got me interested. My dad didn't always have a motorcycle but he for sure always wanted one. After us kids got older and moved out of the house my dad bought a motorcycle so my mom and he could ride and go to rallies.
Listening to them talk about how much fun they had was enough to make me want to get my own and join them from time to time. A few years after my divorce with the generosity of my parents I was finally able to get a motorcycle and start riding. It was a smaller bike (250 cc) but it did wonders for me in the experience aspect.
Now I have been to several rallies and even rode my second bike to Bike Week in Sturgis, SD. That was a great experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life. I got into riding not only for the coolness factor but as a way to connect with my parents. It's a great bonding experience that we have shared and continue to share. Of course I must note that recently my mother passed away. It was unexpected and hit our family damn hard.
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| Having a beer in Luckenbach with my folks. |
My Mom wasn't comfortable riding a motorcycle so she got a trike. It was a big beast. She was a tiny little woman riding a huge Goldwing Trike. It made her more confident so it was definitely the right choice. The experiences we had together will be remembered forever. Though it's still a bit hard to look in the mirror and not see her riding behind me, I'm sure it's even worse for my father.
We continue our rides though, because she was the type that would expect no less from us. So, now every ride I take is a thoughtful reminder of the fleeting nature of life and how it continues on. I guess that's the take away from it all. It's not the destination but the stuff that happens along the way.
